Ted Montgomery writes an exclusive column
for USATODAY.com  biweekly during the regular season and weekly
during the playoffs. He is the author of four
hockey books and has been an avid hockey fan since first rooting
for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs as a boy in suburban
Detroit. He is the media relations director for Oakland University
in Rochester, Mich.

New York Islanders vs. Ottawa Senators: This should be one of the least exciting series in the first round. The Senators have the advantage in every aspect of the game: offense, defense and in goal. Plus, they are determined to go a long way in the postseason for a change. The acquisition of Vaclav Varada has toughened them up. The Islanders will entrust their playoff fortunes to Garth Snow, but don't be surprised if they switch to Rick DiPietro if they get into a jam. He could gain valuable experience in this series.

Ted's prediction: Ottawa in five games.

Boston Bruins vs. New Jersey Devils: The Bruins can erase a disappointing two-thirds of season with a first-round upset against the Devils. The Bruins have a well-balanced offense and can score in bunches. They'll have trouble penetrating the stifling New Jersey defense, and the Devils have a huge advantage in goal with Martin Brodeur. If the games go the Bruins' way early and turn into wide-open affairs, the B's can eke out a couple of wins, but there is no way they can beat the Devils four out of seven games.

Ted's prediction: New Jersey in six games.

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Philadelphia Flyers: This promises to be the best first round matchup. Both teams can play physical hockey, and both teams have some talented forwards. The Flyers have the advantage on the blue line, but the Leafs have the advantage in goal. Both teams feature lots of players with playoff experience and coaches hardened by the playoff wars. This series could go either way, and it'll be a long one, but I think home ice in Game 7 will be the deciding factor.

Ted's prediction: Philadelphia in seven games.

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Another good series between two teams that are evenly matched. These two teams were in a season-long struggle for supremacy in the Southeast Division. The Lightning are this season's feel-good story, and Nikolai Khabibulin is capable of stoning a team in a playoff series, but the Caps have more experience and a better blue line.

Ted's prediction: Washington in six games.

Western Conference

Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars: These two rivals square off for the fifth time in six seasons. All you need to know about this series is that Dallas lost just five games all season at home. The Oilers have a talented blue line and are one the league's speediest teams, but the Stars have so much more depth than Edmonton.

Ted's prediction: Dallas in five games.

Anaheim Mighty Ducks vs. Detroit Red Wings: This is not the Ducks team that the Red Wings vanquished so easily in earlier playoff rounds three times since 1997. Adam Oates, Petr Sykora, Sandis Ozolinsh and Rob Niedermayer are much better players than the Ducks had during the Guy Hebert, Joe Sacco and J.F. Jomphe days. The Wings are a big target; every team wants to upset the reigning champions. The Wings need to stay out of the penalty box to win this series. J-S Giguere has the ability to steal a couple of games. The Wings' third and fourth lines are a lot better than the Ducks', and depth usually decides playoff series.

Ted's prediction: Detroit in six games.

Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche: The Wild are coming off a very unexpected good year and play a great team game. Their coach, Jacques Lemaire, has the team playing an overall sound defensive game, and they are tough to play against when they have a lead. But the Avs have a lot of firepower and a much better goaltender. Guys like Alex Tanguay and Milan Hedjuk have game-breaking talent that the Wild just doesn't possess. And that's not to mention the superlative skills of Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.

Ted's prediction: Colorado in five games.

St. Louis Blues vs. Vancouver Canucks: This will be the best and most hard-fought first-round series in the Western Conference.

The Blues have a better defense, but the Canucks' No. 1 line is the best in the league. Both teams have question marks in goal: The Blues have a Chris Osgood with a penchant for giving up soft goals at crucial times, and the Canucks have a Dan Cloutier who isn't 100% physically and has suffered through some tough times in the playoffs. This should be a great series with lots of penalties and a couple of high-scoring games.